History Of The Apple Logo Design – Evolution of Apples Logos
One of the most valuable brands in the world, Apple is mainly known for its exquisite hardware design.
Whether it is their computers or smartphones, all of its products represent the ceaseless ingenuity of its creative team.
The dominance of Apple’s client base is a patron of the eye-popping hardware design of its products.
However, the company is not only creative with its product design but also has a rich history regarding its Apple logo design and branding.
From its first brand identity to the last logo, Apple’s design has undergone a significant transition regarding design, colours, and style.
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Apple Inc. Vs Apple Corps: A Long Legal War Over Brand Identity
Apart from appealing, the Apple logo design also has a fascinating history.
Part of its history is associated with its name, which is coincidentally similar to another company by the name of Apple Records, which is owned by the Beatles, the famous rock band of the 60s and 70s.
Due to the similarities in the brand name and logo, both companies went toe-to-toe with each other in a lawsuit that lasted for twenty-eight years.
The legal battle resulted in a settlement entitled Apple Inc. to own all the trademark rights associated with the Apple name.
According to the essay writer at UK essay ace, the settlement was finished after Apple paid a whopping $500 million.
This ended an old rift between the two companies and ended on a positive note.
Coming back to the exquisite Apple logo design, it kept going through several iterations from its very first inception in 1976.
The most noticeable change is the bite, and people cooked up many stories about it.
Some associate the bite with the lore of Alan Turing and his death, while some attribute it to the story of Original Sin.
There are many other unofficial versions of this story.
However, the original creator of the Apple logo design has a different story to tell.
Touraj Saberivand was the partner of the design team that created Apple’s logo.
According to him, the bite was created to make it look more like an apple so that it does not seem similar to any other fruit.
Here is what he had to say: I was going for the silhouette of an apple, but to make it look more like an apple and not some other round fruit, I did what one does with an apple, I took a bite out of it.
However, the story of the Apple logo design history has more exciting facets than just a bite.
From its first design until its modern form, it has undergone some iterations that deserve mention in this article.
However, before we delve into its history, we will take a glimpse into the salient features of the Apple logo design:
Shape
The most noticeable thing in the Apple logo is its imagery of apple fruit.
A bite is designed on the right side of the fruit to ensure it looks like an apple.
The leaf of the fruit is bent towards the right side.
Colours
While Apple has a single logo design that it uses as the brand identity of its organisation, it also uses some other versions with little variations in colours.
Most of its products use silver chrome colour, black or white in its logo design which looks stylish and gives it a modern feel.
Fonts
Apple does not use any fonts in its official company’s logo design.
Its logo’s clean and elegant look does not call for any text.
Now that you have an idea of the elements of Apple’s logo design, let’s check out its evolution through the eyes of history:
Original Apple Logo Design (1976)
Apple’s original logo design was considered quite complicated for its intricate nature.
It depicts the famous story of the discovery of gravity when Isaac Newton was sitting under a tree, and an apple fell on him.
Ronald Wayne, the co-founder, created it, who designed the old Apple logo tribute to Isaac Newton for his discovery of gravity.
The logo featured Isaac Newton sitting under a tree and contemplating something while an apple was about to fall on his head.
Although the logo became the brand identity for Apple, it could not create a buzz and was soon replaced by a new logo design.
Besides, Steve Jobs did not like the original Apple logo and needed a better design.
According to him, the logo looked enigmatic and lacked clarity.
In other words, he needed something more explicit and straightforward.
Therefore, he hired a design team for the job for the logos of Apple.
The Rainbow Apple Logo (1976 – 1998)
Since Steve Jobs was not very happy with the first logo design, as he wanted something more compelling and artistic, he assigned Rob Janoff to the job and impressed Steve Jobs with his work.
There was a marked improvement in the design of the new logo.
Apple’s new logo design used an Apple that was bitten from the right side, while it used rainbow colours to make it more user-friendly.
Rob Janoff’s design struck a chord with Steve Jobs, who approved the plan.
The new design invoked the curiosity of the people, and they started making speculations.
Some thought that the use of Apple is a tribute to the demise of Alan Turing, who died after eating an apple that was considered to have cyanide.
As for the colours in the logo, people thought of it as representative of Apple’s transition to Apple II, which was the company’s first computer that supported the use of colours.
The rainbow colour logo remained the brand identity of Apple for more than two decades.
Though the colours and styling have changed over the years, the basic design and imagery of the logo remain the same.
The Monochrome Apple Logo Design (1998 – 2000)
In 1997, Steve Jobs rejoined the company after twelve years.
Once he was back in the saddle, the first thing he did was rebrand the company.
Whether it was the translucent iMacs or the new packaging of the products, Steve Jobs changed the entire personality of Apple.
However, the most significant change came from its new logo design, which was more impactful than its previous versions.
The new logo was revamped mainly because of the change in hardware design, as the new Apple computers used metallic casings.
So a rainbow-coloured logo would have looked absurd in those cases.
This is why Steve Jobs changed it with a solid colour logo that can complement a metallic casing.
So he came up with the idea of a monochrome logo that could go with the new design of the iMac.
Steve Jobs approved the final design, and since then, the logo has been a part of Apple products.
Today, it is one of the most recognised logos in the world and an integral part of Apple’s brand identity.
The New Apple Logo (2001 – 2007)
Apple did some tweaking to the monochrome logo to make it look more stylized.
The new logo had a glassy look with a gradient shade that added a sense of sophistication and style to its design.
This logo has become a permanent feature of many of Apple’s products.
However, Apple used two versions of this glassy logo: silver and chrome.
The silver logo is used on the company’s hardware products, while the chrome version is featured on the software products.
The Future of Apple’s Logo Design?
The Apple logo has an inspiring journey.
From its first design till the last version, the Apple logo retained the integrity and class that it is known for.
Whether it is the logo of Isaac Newton or the rainbow-coloured version, the monochrome logo or the latest brand identity, Apple brings out the best from every design.
Considering that Apple’s logo has garnered extraordinary attention, we look forward to the future logo. We hope it will represent the company’s ethos as the previous logos did.
Final Thoughts on the History of the Apple Logos
The logo of Apple is among the most widely recognised globally.
Just like McDonald’s, Nike, and FedEx, it is regarded as one of the most famous logos that people can quickly recognise.
Apple Inc. owed a big part of its success to its appealing logo design.
The beauty of the Apple logo design graced its breakthrough products and contributed to its phenomenal success.
Whether it is the iPhone, iPad, iMac, or iPod, the emblem of Apple is the substance of its design.
Anyone who sees the brand identity of Apple cannot resist but give it a second look.
That is the impact it creates on the laymen.
Today, the Apple insignia symbolises innovation, reliability, and trust.
I hope the facts above enriched your knowledge about the history of the Apple logo and Brand Identity and inspired you to create something as original and unique as the iconic Apple logo design.
Check out this fantastic list of some top logo design firms for more inspiration.
FAQs
What is the history behind the apple logo? ›
In fact, it looks like something you'd expect to see slapped on a bottle of craft beer. The job of creating the company's first logo fell to Ronald Wayne, who decided to use Isaac Newton's image sitting below a tree – the same Isaac Newton who discovered gravity when an apple fell out of a tree onto his head.
How has the apple logo changes over time? ›As part of his efforts to turn things around, Jobs decided to leverage on the company's universally recognized, bitten apple logo. The tech pioneer wanted to portray Apple as a luxury brand and changed the rainbow logo to a blue and translucent emblem, and then in 1998, switched it to plain black.
What makes apple a good logo? ›It always has a brand attached to it (even if your company is one-week-old). Apple's logo is so successful not only because it's simple and elegant. More important than that, it reflects the brand's values and triggers the right associations.
How many times did apple change their logo? ›03. 1977 Colorful Bitten Apple Logo Design Comes Up. Since its inception in 1976, apple logo design was changed twice. The very first design had served its purpose of conveying the message that the company believed in thinking a new.
Why is the apple logo unique? ›In 1977, Rob Janoff developed a beautiful new design with an apple and the word “Apple. The new logo was aimed at a young audience and symbolized the computer's unique ability to display colors. And so that the apple would not be confused with the cherry, it was decided to make it a bite.
Why the apple logo has a bite? ›The logo's creator Rob Janoff revealed the real reason the bite is there in an interview with Creative Bits. Janoff said, "When I explain the real reason why I did the bite it's kind of a let down. But I'll tell you. I designed it with a bite for scale, so people get that it was an apple not a cherry.
What are 3 things about a logo that are important? ›So, your logo needs to clearly communicate who you are and what you do in an instant. From concept to roll-out, there's much to consider when boiling your brand to a single mark. However, a great small business logo only needs three things: great typography, simple colors, and a strong visual element.
What is the most popular logo in the world? ›Coca-Cola logo and brand is the most recognisable in the world. The red and white Coca-Cola logo is recognised by 94% of the world's population.
Is the Apple logo really a button? ›Back Tap turns the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone into a secret button. Yes really. You can program the logo to take a screenshot when you double tap it and launch Shazam when you triple tap it for example, or you can set up a Siri Shortcut to use as the double and triple tap, such as call your partner.
What is the main purpose of a logo? ›Logos are a point of identification; they're the symbol that customers use to recognize your brand. Ideally, you'll want people to instantly connect the sight of your logo with the memory of what your company does – and, more importantly, how it makes them feel.
What is logo used for? ›
A logo is a combination of text and visual imagery that serves two purposes. It tells people the name of the company and it creates a visual symbol that represents your business. Some logos have powerful symbolic association connected to people's memory.
How do you explain a logo in an essay? ›Logos, or the appeal to logic, means to appeal to the audiences' sense of reason or logic. To use logos, the author makes clear, logical connections between ideas, and includes the use of facts and statistics. Using historical and literal analogies to make a logical argument is another strategy.
What logo has a snake? ›WHO's emblem was chosen by the First World Health Assembly in 1948. The emblem consists of the United Nations symbol surmounted by a staff with a snake coiling round it. The staff with the snake has long been a symbol of medicine and the medical profession.
What logo color is best? ›- Yellow and Blue: Playful and Authoritative. ...
- Navy and Teal: Soothing or Striking. ...
- Black and Orange: Lively and Powerful. ...
- Maroon and Peach: Elegant and Tranquil. ...
- Deep Purple and Blue: Serene and Dependable. ...
- Navy and Orange: Entertaining yet Credible.
First and foremost, your logo needs to be easily identified with your brand. It should clearly reflect your business's values and services. Think about color and typography and how they set the tone of the design. For example, if you're a construction company you probably don't want to use the color pink in your logo.
What type of logo is Apple? ›A pictorial mark (sometimes called brand mark or logo symbol) is an icon—or graphic-based logo. It's probably the image that comes to mind when you think “logo”: the iconic Apple logo, the Twitter bird, the Target bullseye.
What makes a good logo 2022? ›In 2022, logos will be colorful, but minimalist, created of simple shapes and thin lines. They will not be without animation, 3D gradients, and bold solutions. It's quite probable that the logo design of the '80s with a lot of neon and pixels will remain relevant.
What makes a logo design successful? ›What Makes A Good Logo? # A good logo is distinctive, appropriate, practical, graphic and simple in form, and it conveys the owner's intended message. A concept or “meaning” is usually behind an effective logo, and it communicates the intended message.
Did the apple logo always have a bite out of it? ›But, in order to ensure people didn't assume the logo was a cherry or a peach (or indeed any other variation of round fruit) Janoff took out a bite out of it to ensure the logo would be easily read as an Apple.
When did apple stop making glowing logo? ›In 2015, Apple began nixing the illuminated insignia from its laptops, starting with the ultra-thin 12-inch MacBook, which had a polished metal logo instead, like those seen on iPads.
Who ate the Apple on the Iphone logo? ›
Initially, Apple's logo was about Issac Newton, and then it became a picture of a real apple. The designer of Apple's latest logo, Ron Janoff bought a dozens of apples in the supermarket after he got his design mission. He cut them into small pieces, bit one of them and got inspired. That's it.
What font does Apple use? ›SF Pro. This neutral, flexible, sans-serif typeface is the system font for iOS, iPad OS, macOS and tvOS. SF Pro features nine weights, variable optical sizes for optimal legibility, four widths, and includes a rounded variant. SF Pro supports over 150 languages across Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts.
Does emoji have Apple logo? ›Unicode details for Apple Logo () emoji.